Guardian Metal Resources PLC is making steady moves in Nevada, and the latest acquisition adds more weight to its plan to build a US domestic tungsten supply chain.
The Company, which trades on the NYSE American as GMTL and on the London Stock Exchange as GMET, has acquired Lincoln Estates Group LLC for US$1.3 million in cash. The deal brings in 841 acres of land and 2,540 acre-feet of annual water rights located less than 10 miles from its Tempiute Tungsten Project in south-central Nevada.
Water is scarce in Nevada’s desert basin. Locking in that volume of annual water rights at this stage removes one of the biggest practical barriers any mining project faces before it can move into full development.
Combined with existing infrastructure at Tempiute left over from its last operating period in the 1980s, the company now has more of what it needs to push the project forward.
CEO Oliver Friesen said the acquisition secures strategic opportunities that will support the next stages of project exploration and development, with ongoing resource-focused drilling among the workstreams the company expects to update investors on soon.
CEO Oliver Friesen
Guardian Metal Nevada Tungsten Projects
Guardian Metal currently has two flagship tungsten projects located in Nevada. Pilot Mountain is characterized by Guardian Metal as one of the biggest undeveloped tungsten deposits within the U.S. Guardian Metal’s second project in the state is Tempiute.
The project was previously referred to as the Emerson Tungsten Mine; it was first discovered in 1916 and last operated in the 1980s when it was the largest tungsten production company in the country.
Both Pilot Mountain and Tempiute are in Nevada, a jurisdiction the company believes offers a strong competitive advantage for mining operations.
The Tempiute project has been expanding rapidly. In May 2026, the company identified tungsten-mineralized tailings on roughly 550-acres at the project, acquired 193 additional claims and increased the total Tempiute footprint by more than 375 percent.
An auger drill program was intended to start in June 2026, conditional on permits being issued by both the BLM and Nevada Division of Environmental Protection. The drilling program was expected to take around three months and will help determine the resource potential of the tailings material.
Government Backing and Strategic Importance
Guardian Metal is not building this supply chain alone. The US government has already put money into the company’s Nevada work. Under Title III of the Defense Production Act of 1950, the US Department of Defense invested US$6.2 million into Guardian Metal’s American subsidiary to fund a pre-feasibility study at Pilot Mountain. That kind of direct government investment signals how seriously Washington is treating domestic tungsten production.
Tungsten sits on the US government’s 2025 list of critical minerals, classified as a material with high supply disruption risk. The US stopped domestic tungsten production in 2015 and currently imports a significant share of its supply.
China accounts for around 81% of global tungsten production and has tightened export controls in recent years. That level of concentration in a single foreign country creates a real risk for industries and military programs that depend on reliable tungsten supply.
The deadline fuelling much of the pressure: January 1, 2027. Once that date hits, US defense contractors won’t be able to procure or supply with any tungsten sourced, refined or produced from China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea, based on acquisition standards detailed in the Defense Federal Acquisition Regulation Supplement.
That rule covers the entire supply chain from raw ore through to finished tungsten metal powders and heavy alloys used in weapons systems and advanced manufacturing.
With less than 18 months left before that deadline, companies with active Nevada tungsten projects are in a position that is hard to ignore.
Tungsten Prices and Market Conditions
The market conditions surrounding Guardian Metal Nevada tungsten work have shifted dramatically. Rotterdam ammonium paratungstate was priced at roughly US$3,185 per metric ton unit at the beginning of May 2026, approximately a nine-fold increase in price over the preceding 12 months.
On the back of the increase, pure 99.9% tungsten is being priced at approximately US$183 per kilogram (globally weighted average) as of April 2026, approximately a 273% increase in 12-month period.
Chinese export licensing controls, tightening of global supply, increased defense acquisition in Western nations and increased attempts to secure supply outside of China has driven those price increases, and the market is not expected to turn lower rapidly.
According to analysis from Canaccord Genuity published in April 2026, global tungsten demand could grow from around 143,000 tonnes in 2025 to 210,000 tonnes by 2035. Supply growth outside China remains limited by a small number of projects in development, aging mines, and a lack of Western refining capacity.
The Pentagon has also been reported to be planning to spend up to US$1 billion on critical minerals stockpiling, with tungsten among the materials under consideration by the Defense Logistics Agency.
Nevada as the Center of the US Tungsten Response
Nevada is emerging as the main location for the US domestic tungsten response. Guardian Metal is running two projects there. Patriot Critical Minerals is advancing its MEGA tungsten deposit in northeastern Elko County, Nevada. American Tungsten is operating its IMA mine in neighboring Idaho.
This region is active in large part due to the region’s geology and the fact that the permitting regime in Nevada allows a quicker pace in bringing projects forward than in most US states.
Guardian Metal increased its market access to investors on the NYSE American in March 2026 (on top of listing on the London Stock Exchange and the OTCQB market) providing for a broader base as it transitions to a development company.
The Lincoln Estates acquisition fits into a clear pattern. The company is building out the foundations needed to turn Tempiute from a historic mine into a working operation. Water rights, land, drilling data, tailings evaluation, and a government-funded feasibility study at Pilot Mountain are all pieces of the same plan.
The January 2027 deadline is not moving. The gap between US tungsten demand and US tungsten supply is not closing on its own. Guardian Metal’s Nevada expansion is one of the few credible domestic answers currently moving through the ground.
Also Read: Australia’s Gold Sector Gains Momentum with Bellevue’s Tribune South Drilling
FAQs
Q1: What did Guardian Metal buy in Nevada?
A1: The company bought Lincoln Estates Group LLC for US$1.3 million, getting 841 acres of land and 2,540 acre-feet of water rights near its Tempiute tungsten project.
Q2: Why does the US need its own tungsten supply?
A2: China produces around 81% of the world’s tungsten and has tightened export controls. US defense rules will ban Chinese-sourced tungsten from military supply chains starting January 2027.
Q3: What is the Tempiute project?
A3: Tempiute is a former tungsten mine in south-central Nevada that was once the largest tungsten-producing operation in the US. Guardian Metal is working to bring it back into production.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for general guidance only and is not intended to serve as investment or financial advice. The content is believed to be accurate and taken from public sources at the date of this writing. The readers should undertake their own investigation and take account of their specific circumstances prior to making any investment decisions in Guardian Metal, any of its tungsten projects, or any company or securities referenced herein.
Sources
https://mining.com.au/guardian-metal-acquires-property-near-tempiute-project/
https://investornews.com/critical-minerals-rare-earths/tungsten-and-the-new-global-supply-chain-war/
Luke Carlino is a seasoned Copywriter, Content Strategist, and Social Media Manager specialising in Mining, Finance, and Business journalism. With more than a decade of industry experience, he brings rigorous editorial standards and commercial acuity to every project.
